St Michael, Croydon

The church is at the centre of its parish - but it is a parish in two distinct halves, divided by a railway line. The church is physically an 'island of faith', surrounded on all sides by Croydon's greater god - business and commerce. The remainder of the parish is across the railway line - with most of the potential parishioners in rows of Victorian streets housing a cosmopolitan community with a significant proportion of Muslims. Not the most promising territory! So how come St Michael's can draw in 200 or so worshippers including more than 100 communicants on an average Sunday? That is largely due to its other 'island of faith' attribute - its robustly Anglo-Catholic tradition. St Michael's is a Forward in Faith parish under the extended episcopal care of the Bishop of Fulham, drawing devotees from as far afield as Maidstone and Leatherhead to worship every Sunday. Parish life is focused totally on the Mass - said at least once every day (except Monday) and three times on Sunday.